controller – {(string|Function)=} – Controller fn that should be associated with newly created scope or the name of a registered controller if passed as a string.

Note that the registered controller never has the entire path, it is the function definition itself or the function's name (a string). You may need module names, if you have exported like that, but that's different from a directory path.

All you need is just use tags in index.html, which will include all your functions. Now if your functions are just plain javascript, and you don't intend using angular.module('app').controller there, use it in the app.js, Just angular.module('app').controller('anonHomeController', anonHomeController); Note that your definition can still remain in the Javascript file /some/path/totemplate/anonHomeController.js. I suggest you try that and see if it works.